Long Shot
by PyroQueenOfFire
Summary: Eric's cousin, Molly Forman Red is her biological uncle , has moved in with him because her parents died in an accident and she has to learn how to live again with the help of the gang, and she finds love in an unlikely place...Hyde/OC
1. A New Home

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**The idea has been floating around in my head for a while now.**

**This takes place the beginning of season four, so here we go.**

**ENJOY!**

****

Molly took a deep breath and parked in her aunt and uncle's driveway. It was hard to believe that this quaint little house was going to be her home now, and at seventeen trying to get into college and wanting a job too, she knew there were hard days ahead. Besides, she had to make friends with the gang again, and get closer to the family she hadn't visited as often as she would have liked to…she had to move on with her life.

"Molly!" Red exclaimed, hurrying over to her and giving her a big hug.

Molly beamed and hugged her uncle. "Uncle Red! It's so good to see you!"

Red finished embracing her and held her out at arm's length to look at her, smiling at her long dark hair and her modest clothes. She was definitely his brother's daughter, and she looked just as smart and beautiful as ever—a little taller too he could have sworn. Soon Kitty was out of the house and hugging Molly to her, kissing her temple and looking her over too with a smile on her face.

"Well aren't you just the bee's knees?" Kitty asked her with an infectious laugh. "Eric is going to be so thrilled to see you!"

Red gave her a look. "Thrilled? Kitty, the boy has been moping about in his room about Donna for days now."

Molly looked surprised. "Why is he moping about Donna?"

"They broke up, Dear." Kitty informed her.

Molly made a face. "Gosh, I'm sorry to hear that. Mind if I go talk to him?"

Kitty shook her head and while Red grabbed Molly's two suitcases, Molly headed into the Forman house and she headed up the stairs to Eric's room. As she neared the room she heard "All By Myself", but then she heard Eric change the station and it started to play "Oh Donna" instead. Smiling sadly, Molly opened her favorite cousin's door and she went in and sat on his bed, him smiling a little at her.

"Molly…I forgot you were moving in today." Eric told her. "God, I'm sorry."

"Oh forget it, Eric—I heard what happened and I get it. It's one of those moments where I wish we had spoons and a jar of peanut butter…would work if we could watch TV up here and mope too actually." She told him with a smile.

Eric couldn't help but smile a little at her but it faded in his heartbreak and she nodded and went over to him, wrapping her arms around him and letting him rest his head on her shoulder. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed the top of his head, trying to figure out what to say to him to make things better for him. They'd always been there for each other and she had really liked Donna, and she was on Eric's side completely…even though she didn't know the problem yet.

"Come on, Forman. Get out of bed." Hyde said suddenly, coming into Eric's room with Kelso and Fez in tow.

He stopped suddenly when he saw Molly there with Eric and Kelso's and Fez's eyes lit up too. They and Molly went way back and they didn't know anything about why she was there, but it made them excited to see their partner in crime. Well, all of them except for Hyde—he and Molly were practically nemeses…even _with_ their first kisses being with each other and their virginity taking away angry sex a couple years back.

"MOLLY!" Fez exclaimed happily. "Are you coming to Funland with us?"

"I'm not going." Eric explained.

Molly looked at them. "Are you one hundred percent positive that Funland is going to improve his mood?"

"I don't want to go to Funland." Eric told her firmly.

She nodded when she looked him in the eye and then shrugged a little at the guys and rested her head against his to let him know she had his back. If making Eric felt better meant staying with him and being silent then she could do that…she didn't really feel like talking much either. The two of them wanted to bottle up all of their feelings whether that was "healthy" or not.

"Fine. If you're not going with us, we'll stay here with you." Hyde told them.

Kelso made a face. "We're not going to Funland?"

Hyde hit Kelso in the arm and it made Molly smile a little that he was at least concerned for Eric, and then the boys sat on the bed with them. Fez started to reach out and then Eric's voice surprised Molly, but she laughed a little.

"Don't…touch the G.I. Joes." Eric warned him.

Kelso spoke up. "Hey, Eric did you—"

"—Hey, buddy, can we not talk? Thanks." Eric replied.

"Fine. We're going to Funland." Hyde announced, the others standing up too since Hyde sounded annoyed.

Eric nodded. "Good. Go."

"You know what? I'm glad you are not going to Funland because you will suck the fun right out of it. And then…and then it would just be called 'Landland'." Fez told Eric and then his whole demeanor changed. "I'm sorry. I'll get you a candy apple, okay?"

Molly kissed the top of Eric's head again and he nodded slowly and she got up and smiled at him—it was kind of uncanny that they still knew what each other was thinking. She asked him if it was really all right, and he nodded and told her to bring him back something and then she headed downstairs before Hyde, Kelso and Fez went out the door and told them she was going with them. First, she had to make sure that it was all right with Red and Kitty.

"Uncle Red? Aunt Kitty? Do you mind if I go to Funland with Michael, Fez and Steven?" Molly asked them.

Red smiled at her. "Of course not—just be careful while you're there, all right? If anyone tries anything, I'll put my foot up their ass."

"Now Red, that's no way to talk in front of your niece." Kitty told him and then beamed at Molly. "Have fun, honey!"

Molly thanked them and smiled, heading back into the living room and to the front door, linking arms with Fez as Hyde made a sarcastic and snide remark and Kelso got all excited. They picked up Jackie and then the five of them got to Funland and walked in, Molly and Fez smelling the cotton candy and smiling at each other—this could be really fun after all and it would get her mind off of things.

"Okay Michael, we have to stay together. Every time we come here you get lost." Jackie told Kelso and Molly cracked a smile—just how she'd left them.

"Damn Jackie, there's fun around every corner." Kelso protested.

Jackie gave him a commanding look. "Michael, what are the rules?"

"Uh, no hitting you from behind with the bumper cars." Michael said.

She nodded. "And?"

Kelso paused a moment. "And no riding the goats at the petting zoo."

"And?" She asked and when he didn't answer she got annoyed. "We have to stay together, Michael!"

"Fine!" He exclaimed and then looked around. "Balloons!"

"Stay!" Jackie told him.

Molly laughed a little and then Woofy the Funland Dog sidled over to them and Molly started to get a little uncomfortable even though Fez looked pretty happy. Guys in random costumes and clowns really creeped her out and so when he went to put his arm around her, Hyde and Fez, she stepped out of the way and he just got Hyde and Fez. Just the disgruntled look on Hyde's face was enough for Molly and she grinned a little even though the giant mascot still creeped her out a little.

"Hey there, kids! I'm Woofy, the Funland Dog, and I'm here to make sure that you have fun, fun, fun!" He exclaimed, petting Hyde's head.

"Touch me like that again you're gonna eat your Alpo through a straw, straw, straw!" Hyde told him, Molly's laughter at the whole thing just making him more upset.

Woofy paused. "Oh. Okeydokey. Well, I'm going down to the saloon to look for the guy who shot my paw."

"Oh, my God! That was Woofy, and he talked to us!" Fez exclaimed excitedly.

"Okay guys, we gotta pick a place to meet in case we split up. How about the corner of Fun Street and Fun Boulevard? I mean, that should be easy enough for even Michael to remember." Jackie said and then turned around. "Michael? Great. Now we'll never find him."

Fez pulled out a picture of Kelso from his wallet and explained that they could just show the picture around and find him that way, Molly looking around for the cotton candy. Jackie wandered off a little to look for Kelso and Fez walked up to a mime and showed him Kelso's picture while Hyde found some t-shirts. Molly looked over as Hyde picked one up and then showed it to Fez excitedly as Fez tried to communicate with the mime.

"Kelso's trapped in a box?" Fez asked him.

"Hey! Fez, check it out." Hyde told him.

Fez read the shirt out loud. "'Fun University'."

"Now check out the back." Hyde told him with a grin on his face, turning it around.

"'F.U.' I don't get it." Fez said as Molly laughed.

Hyde beamed. "F.U., man. F.U.!"

"Oh, right. 'Fu'. That's a good one..." Fez told him even though he didn't get it.

"When did you get fun, Hyde?" Molly asked him.

Hyde gave her a look. "I could ask you the same thing—at least _you_ got it. Hey…not that I care or anything but why are you visiting now?"

"I'm not visiting exactly…I'm staying for good." Molly told him slowly.

Hyde laughed a little. "Oh really? Why is that? Couldn't take Mom and Dad anymore so you ran away from home?"

Molly bit her lip and then swallowed looking at Hyde. "My mom and dad died two days ago in an accident."

She wanted to stay and face it, but saying it out loud made it reality and she wanted to go back home. Even though her home was now with Red, Kitty and Eric, she just wanted away from the crowds and the music and the rides…and Hyde felt kind of bad as he watched her walk away…

**Next chapter soon. Feedback is appreciated.**


	2. Making the Pain Stop

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**And here is chapter two with a little angst, some fun, and some character bonding.**

**Hope you enjoy it!**

**=D**

****

Molly got herself to the Forman residence pretty easily, and ended up getting into the driveway right as Eric made his way outside to help Red trim some hedges. She smiled a little when Red saw her and gave a sad smile her way, wishing she didn't feel so terribly sad about all of it. He wasn't one to share his feelings at all but he had lost his brother, and his niece had lost _both_ of her parents.

"I thought we were in love." Eric said suddenly and Molly leaned on the Vista Cruiser.

"Oh God." Red said aloud, really not wanting to do the care and share.

Eric nodded. "And then it all just blows apart. And all that's left is this big hole, you know?"

"Uh, no, I don't. Oh! But there is a gopher hole out back. And if you shove the hose down and flush him out I'll stand at the other end and hit him in the head with a shovel." Red exclaimed.

Eric nodded slowly and sighed. "Uh-huh. Just go, Dad."

"Thanks. Thank you." Red told him and ran off to the backyard.

"If you want to talk about it, I'm here." Molly explained.

She hadn't wanted to really talk about anything else that was really sad, but she knew for a fact that Eric was hurting and she _hated_ to see him hurting so much. He meant quite a lot to her, and if she could help him through this then she would. Unfortunately, Donna showed up to drop some bags off at the curb and Molly swallowed when Eric and Donna looked at each other, Donna noticing Molly for a second.

"Hey." Eric told her and Molly felt like she should head inside.

Donna looked at him. "'Hey'? Is that all you have to say to me?"

"Well, what do you have to say to me?" Eric asked her, Molly heading to the door to go inside the Forman house to give Eric his space.

"Huh. How about this? 'Hey'." Donna told him.

Molly headed to the living room and wished Kitty was there maybe so she wouldn't be alone but part of her felt like she needed to be alone. Everyone was kind of in a funk because of the accident, and Molly wanted to cry but she couldn't. She started to after a few hours of not being able to get through her book, but she knew it wasn't the time or the place, so she wiped the tear away, and smiled a little when Kitty came in with groceries.

"Do you need help with that?" Molly asked her.

Kitty smiled at her. "Sweetie you have every right to just sit around and cope, you know?"

"No, I need to keep myself occupied." Molly replied with a smile, helping Kitty with a grocery bag. "What are we going to make for dinner?"

Kitty smiled at her niece and then nodded, knowing that there was no way to force Molly to deal with any of her problems. If the seventeen year-old thought she needed to keep herself busy in order to be all right, then Kitty was going to help her with that. She couldn't help but smile at the helpful girl, and wish that there was something that she could do that would make things up to her a little. She was Red's flesh and blood but Red didn't do the share and care, and Kitty wanted Molly to feel better.

"Do you think there's a candy striper position open at the hospital?" Molly asked Kitty, smiling a bit as she got the groceries out of the bag.

Kitty smiled at her. "Yeah, I'm sure I could get that for you…but what about school?"

"I can candy stripe on the weekends—I'm really good about getting my homework done." Molly replied quickly, blinking a little and quickly drying her eyes.

"Oh I believe you, Sweetheart." Kitty replied, hugging Molly a little and then helping her to put the groceries away. "What do you say to sandwiches?"

Molly smiled at her aunt. "Perfect."

Kitty smiled at her and the two set to making some sandwiches, smiling at Red and Eric when they got back from Price Mart. Molly was glad to have more company in the house to get her mind off of everything that was going on around her, and she swallowed when she realized that Hyde would be coming back. He lived with the Forman's and that meant sooner or later he'd be back from Funland and she'd have to face him and she really didn't want to at all.

"Hey, how about that new cashier at work? Not bad, huh? Single too." Red told Eric, trying to up his mood since his break-up with Donna.

Eric sighed. "Dad, I'm not—"

"—what? Is it the braces?" Red asked him.

"Well you know what helps a fella get over a gal? Pimiento loaf." She said and started to laugh, but the second Eric opened up the sandwich to put mustard on it, he made a face and walked off.

Molly sighed and decided to follow him up to his room as Kitty asked Red what could possibly be wrong with him when Red was supposed to make him feel better, and Eric looked up at Molly and he sighed. He hated that he was so mopey about breaking up with Donna when the real person who was sad and had every right to be was Molly. Molly had just lost _both_ of her parents in a tragic car accident, and he had lost his aunt and his uncle—how could he be being so completely selfish when she was putting aside everything to try and make _him_ feel better when she was the one who was the _saddest_.

"So why did you leave Funland?" Eric asked her as she crawled onto his bed.

Molly shrugged. "It just wasn't any fun without you."

"And…?" Eric asked her.

"And…" Molly took a deep breath, "Hyde made a crack about my parents and I couldn't take it."

Eric kissed Molly's temple. "Hyde is just a jackass."

"He didn't know but I uh…I just don't want to deal with it right now because I can't so…your mother is getting me a candy striping job at the hospital." Molly said with a smile on her face. "It'll give me something to do."

"Is that really wise, Moll? I mean the hospital really isn't the place for you right now, is it?" Eric asked her. "I'm not trying to be hurtful, I swear, I just worry about you."

Molly nodded and she felt the tears coming, leaning against Eric and crying. She didn't want to breakdown with him but she couldn't help it, and Eric just stroked her hair and held her close to him. Eventually Molly said she was sorry she was being stupid and got off of his bed, stopping as Eric took her hand and smiled at her. He told her he was always going to be there for her, and then let her go to her room to try and get some sleep.

She got dressed in her t-shirt and pajama pants and laid in the bed that was now going to be hers and used to belong to Laurie, and she just couldn't sleep. It wasn't like she hadn't slept at the Forman's before, but it had always been on the couch, and she had always known that the next day she'd go back home. So, picking up her pillow and her blanket, she headed down to the couch and paused at the bottom of the stairs when Hyde came out of the kitchen.

"I was uh…I don't have to." Molly told him.

Hyde shook his head. "No, no, it's fine. I'll just use the TV in the basement."

"This one is bigger." Molly said lamely, and then she took a deep breath and bit her lip to stop the tears.

"Look…I didn't mean to crack about your parents, I didn't know." Hyde tried and they both knew he was struggling with the apology.

He really _did_ feel bad for what he had said but he hadn't known about her parents and his 'apology' was not going to make them friends. Still, he knew what it was like to not have parents around and hers were dead and he didn't want to make her feel any worse about losing them. Besides, she was actually looking kind of attractive with her hair down like that, and she moved towards the couch and set her things down.

"If you want, we can watch whatever you wanted to watch up here." Molly offered.

She wasn't sure quite _why_ she offering, but she was too sad and tired to argue with him and Hyde really wanted to watch things on the bigger TV, so he nodded and sat down with her, watching as she leaned against her pillow and snuggled under her blanket. Then he laughed a little when he realized along with her pillow and her blanket, she had her stuffed animal with her and he couldn't hold the teasing in if he tried.

"A teddy bear?" Hyde asked her.

Molly rolled her eyes. "Keep your eyes on the TV and shut-up."

"Oh well isn't _someone_ getting all feisty?" Hyde said with a laugh. "You honestly sleep with a teddy bear?"

"One more word about Mr. Bear and I'm shutting your mouth for you." Molly warned, giving him a death glare.

Hyde started to open his mouth but suddenly he felt something he found strange—Molly's lips on his. Their constant bickering back and forth wasn't something new…in fact they both kind of preferred it that way. Still, Molly was feeling like she needed cheering up and Hyde wouldn't shut his mouth, so she had shut it for him.

"What are you doing, Molly?" Hyde asked her, pushing her off a little.

Molly took a deep breath. "Steven, I'm tried of feeling bad, all right? I want to banter, I do, but I have no energy and I just can't do this with you right now. This is the next best thing."

"I'm not going to be used by you." Hyde told her and smiled a little when she laughed and raised her eyebrows at him.

"Oh you're not?" She asked him.

Hyde nodded at her. "We're doing this not here in the living room."

"Lead the way." She replied.

**Next chapter soon. Feedback is appreciated.**


	3. A Chance to Start Over

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Now I pretty much love this story and the Hyde romance is kind of…well expect him to be Hyde-like so it's push and pull.**

**ENJOY!!**

****

At first Hyde thought it had been a good idea to just give in to Molly when she had initiated the sex but now her lip was quivering as she laid next to him and held the sheet around her body. It wasn't that she hadn't had sex with Hyde before, because she had, but this sex had been simply to make herself feel better and now she felt worse. Meaningless sex might have been Steven Hyde's forte, but it certainly wasn't hers and now all she wanted to do was take it back.

"Are you going to cry?" Hyde asked her.

Molly bit her lip and shook her head. "No…I'm fine."

"No you're not—you're simpering." Hyde replied.

"For once in your life, Steven: shut-up." Molly told him firmly and he nodded and they laid there looking up at the ceiling.

Hyde took a deep breath and then nodded slowly, wondering what his conflicted feelings were all about. On the one hand it was Molly and they were supposed to be able to banter and argue and still kind of be friends, but at the same time he had just had sex with a girl who was now crying. Part of him was feeling pretty bruised, ego-wise—pretty bruised indeed.

"Was it bad for you?" Hyde asked her.

Molly shook her head. "No—it was actually really good."

"Well you certainly sound like it was." Hyde replied sarcastically.

"Okay if you're not going to shut-up just lying here," Molly told him, sitting up and then leaning over him, "then maybe we just have to go again."

Hyde shook his head. "Oh, no! Not so you can cry again!"

"Steven!" Molly chastised, and Hyde let her kiss him.

The truth was that they both thought the other one was more than physically qualified to satisfy the other, but emotionally this was just to mask pain for Molly, and to mask boredom for Hyde. Neither of them really wanted to talk to each other about it, so they just continued through the motions and then for the second time in his life, Hyde let a girl cuddle up against him and he cuddled her back. She needed the stability and when she asked if she could stay with him, though he hesitated, he nodded.

"Thank you." She whispered, kissing his damp peck softly. "Thank you."

Hyde shrugged a little. "It's nothing."

Molly just nodded at that and then she fell asleep, Hyde surprising himself when he held her protectively, both of them getting up without talking to each other the next morning and putting their sleep wear back on. Then Molly hurried up to what was supposed to be her new room, and got dressed in day clothes, heading back down to the kitchen and wondering where Kitty was.

"That's odd." Molly said, looking around. "I _just_ snuck past her like five minutes ago."

Eric laughed. "Oh yeah? Why'd you have to do that?"

"No reason." Molly replied and then smiled when Kitty came in holding a spice jar.

"Just needed more flavoring for the pancakes." Kitty told them and then smiled when Molly offered to help her with breakfast. "I could get used to having you around, Molly."

Molly smiled at the compliment and then she blushed a little when she saw Hyde come up the stairs, both of them ignoring the other, but trying to make it look rather normal. Unfortunately for them, Eric noticed the way Hyde swallowed when he glanced at Molly and then sat at the kitchen table and stared at the table cloth, and it made Eric look at his cousin. She was trying a little _too_ hard _not_ to look in Hyde's direction and though Kitty was oblivious of it, it suddenly dawned on Eric—Molly and Hyde had slept together!

"Hyde, can I talk to you?" Eric asked him, heading towards the basement. "Let's chat on our way to go find my missing sock near the dryer."

Kitty turned to him. "Oh, honey, are you missing a sock?"

"It's okay, Mom—you and Molly keep cooking, I can find it with Hyde's help." Eric told her and Hyde reluctantly followed Eric down the stairs, sighing when Eric smacked his arm. "What is wrong with you?! She's _grieving_!"

"She _told_ you?!" Hyde asked, honestly upset.

Eric pointed at Hyde. "Ha! Of course she didn't tell me! You two need to get better at your 'I'm not looking over there' faces!"

"For your information we've been good at it for years—her game is just off right now." Hyde retorted and then he sighed when Eric's face suddenly changed.

"Can you do me a favor and stay away from Molly?" Eric asked, and Hyde knew from the tone in his voice that it was more of an order than a request.

He was going to protest that he and Molly could do whatever they wanted, but then he'd make Eric think he was interested in pursuing something with Molly. Right now Hyde needed to shake off what had happened between them, and go to school and move on with someone else. In fact Molly was feeling the need to get through breakfast too, and then get some unpacking out of the way so she'd be ready for school on Monday.

"Are you all right, Molly? You suddenly seem rather quiet." Kitty told her, kissing Red when he came into the kitchen.

Molly smiled at them. "I'm great, Aunt Kitty. Thanks for asking."

"That's my girl." Red told her, kissing the top of her head and resting his hand on her shoulder. "So what are your plans today?"

"I was thinking about just hanging out with Eric." Molly replied with a shrug.

Red nodded as Eric came up the stairs and then they all sat down to some breakfast and Molly spent the rest of the day with Eric, who was happy to have her around and also itching to ask her about Hyde. He just couldn't let it go that Hyde and Molly had slept with each other before and as much as Eric loved Hyde, he loved Molly more. Molly was his favorite person in the world practically, and he was not going to let her get hurt by Hyde and Hyde's womanizing ways.

"So…you and Hyde." Eric said as he and Molly were walking down the sidewalk.

Molly turned to him. "He _told_ you?! Oh my God! Did he brag?!"

"No, no—neither. You two were just _really_ obvious in the kitchen today. You wanna tell me about it? This isn't the first time." Eric explained.

"Well he _had_ to have told you _something_ for you to know _that_." Molly said, and then sighed and continued walking. "If you _must_ know…Hyde and I kind of lost our virginity to each other."

Eric's eyes widened. "What?! I thought he lost it to Tara Gray!"

"No…I kind of ruined that for him. She's a slut so she just spread around the rumor that she slept with him and he agreed with it." Molly said and then shrugged a little. "He was angry, I was angry, he was horny, I was kinda horny—voila, angry sex."

Eric nodded and sighed. "Well I think we should find you a boy that actually cares about your well-being."

Molly smiled at him and leaned into him momentarily. "Thanks for looking out for me, Twiggy, but I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself."

Eric smiled at the childhood nickname and nodded, both of them heading to the house and then watching a movie. Kitty and Red were pretty happy that Eric and Molly were getting along like they were siblings, and when the two went to bed early and then got up on time for school, Red was kind of impressed. All it seemed to take was Molly being there to get Eric slightly out of his 'Donna-funk', and just having Eric around was making Molly a lot less depressed about her parents.

"So what are you three doing after school?" Red asked over breakfast.

Molly looked at him. "I'm thinking about trying out for something."

"Well if you get onto a sports team, that'll make _one_ person in this family." Red told her.

Molly smiled at him as Hyde laughed and Eric sighed, and then after packing their own lunches with Kitty's help, they headed off to school. In her first period, Molly met Angela Lilly Davidson, and so instead of sitting with Eric and the gang, Molly sat with Angela and her friends, Heath Michaels, Clara Burnett, and Lisa Prim. She smiled at them as they talked about their history class, and then she realized that Angela went by 'Lilly', so she knew not to make that mistake with her.

"So your last name is Forman." Heath told her, glancing over at Eric. "That mean you're related to Eric?"

Angela's eyes lit up. "Are you like his cousin or something?!"

"Yeah—Eric's my cousin. We were actually born a week apart." Molly said with a smile and looked over at Eric's table too, her eyes resting on Hyde.

"Lilly here is _obsessed_ with Eric." Clara told Molly with a laugh. "Lisa's got a thing for Steven."

Molly looked at Clara. "Wait…Steven Hyde?"

"Yeah—he's dreamy." Lisa told her and looked over at him. "So…is he like your friend?"

"Will you guys let the girl breathe please?" Angela asked them looking at Molly and smiling. "I'm sorry about them—after school you wanna grab a bite with us at 'The Hub'?"

Molly smiled. "Yeah…that sounds like fun."

**Note: And there is chapter three! Feedback is always appreciated!**


	4. The Pact

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Okay, this chapter was meant to be fluffy.**

**Also, it has some fun bickering in it.**

**Enjoy!!**

****

Molly was thinking twice about her decision to hang out with Angela, Heath, Clara and Lisa when they walked into The Hub and Hyde was there with Eric, Fez and Kelso. Actually the first thought that ran through Molly's mind was that she was glad that Eric was out and around people, but the second thought was definitely about Hyde. Ever since their couple of go's in the basement, she really couldn't get him out of her mind and she didn't know why.

"Do you think you could introduce us to them?" Lisa asked, smiling over at Hyde which made Molly clench her fists a little.

Molly plastered a smile on her face when Lisa turned to her though. "Um…sure, I guess."

"You really don't have to." Angela told her, nudging Lisa and blushing.

"No, it's fine—I wanted to talk to Eric anyway." Molly replied with a shrug.

Honestly as much as she liked her new friends, she wasn't sure exactly how to introduce them to the gang. Still, she was pretty certain that Eric would help her through it, so they headed over to the table and relief washed over her. If there was one thing that Molly was thankful for, it was Eric always knowing what it was he was supposed to say even when she wasn't completely sure what he was supposed to say.

"Hey, Molly." Eric told her with a smile. "Who are your friends?"

Molly smiled at him warmly. "This is Lilly, Heath, Clara and Lisa—I have classes with them. Guys, this is Fez, Michael, Steven, and my cousin, Eric."

"Well it looks like you're making friends." Hyde told her, taking the opportunity to pick a fight with her.

"And it looks like there are still only three people who like you." Molly shot back, smiling smugly at him.

Kelso laughed loudly. "Burn!"

Fez laughed too, Eric shifting uncomfortably at the tension between Molly and Hyde—it was hard for him to know the truth about them. Lisa was actually picking up on it too, while Angela simply gazed at Eric, and Clara smiled at Fez. Heath was picking up on the tension only because he was trying not to focus on Clara and Fez smiling at each other. Strangely for Hyde, he was kind of enjoying how cute Molly looked when she thought she had the upper hand on him—when she _did_ have the upper hand on him.

"I'll see you at home, Eric. Bye Fez…Michael." Molly said, and deliberately left Hyde out of the goodbyes.

He didn't know why that annoyed him, but it did, and he gave her a look as she headed out of The Hub, Angela, Heath, Clara and Lisa following her. They all exchanged phone numbers, and then Molly went to the house, doing her homework and then going out in the back to play some basketball on her own. The gang was in the basement, except for Hyde, who had come out and was watching her shoot hoops.

Actually, Molly was really good at it, and she kept making shot after shot, which impressed Hyde immensely. When he realized he was impressed by her though, he quickly went down into the basement, and avoided eye contact with her at dinner. Molly still wasn't sleeping in the room she had been given, and Hyde couldn't sleep, so in the middle of the night when he went into the Living Room, they both swallowed and stared at each other for a moment.

"What do you want?" Molly asked him, tearing her eyes away from him and then looking at the TV that she had on.

Hyde shrugged casually. "I was going to watch some TV but you're tainting it."

"Oh well I'd say I'm sorry, but…I'm not." Molly replied.

"Yeah, I expected that." Hyde told her, sitting on the couch with her. "So…how well do you know, Lisa?"

Molly knew she was jealous and it annoyed her. "Hyde? Go away."

Hyde smiled when he heard in her voice that he had touched a nerve, and looked at her, scowling a little when she kicked him since he hadn't moved. He didn't know what it was, but for some reason seeing her actually upset, made him let it go and go back downstairs. He was going to fight her on it a little more, but he had decided to just let her be, since she was still a little upset about her parents.

Molly was feeling really bad about how she had treated him and sighed loudly, heading down to the basement. Hyde was in his room down there, and Molly took another deep breath before she opened up the door and walked in. She smiled a little and then tucked her hair behind her ears, Hyde giving her a look and pointing out of his room.

"Don't worry I'm not here to _use_ you again." Molly told him, laughing at him a little and then crossing her arms over her chest. "Look…I'm sorry I've been a royal pain in the ass lately, all right?"

Hyde shrugged. "I hadn't noticed a change in your behavior at all."

"Do you like Lisa?" Molly asked him, sighing and closing her eyes when the words shot out of her mouth.

"Why?" Hyde asked her slowly. "Would that bother you if I did?"

Molly scoffed at him. "What? No. Why in the world would that bother me?"

"Because you're completely into me." Hyde replied with a smug shrug.

Molly rolled her eyes at him even though inside she was already admitting it. She had gotten so used to hating Hyde in the past, but for some reason she was feeling bonded to him because of his physical help when she was upset. Still, she knew that there was no way that Hyde would every admit that he had feelings—even if his were definitely not the same as hers and she expected that.

"I'm not _into_ you…I'm just a little _attached_, I think. I blame you!" Molly shot at him, pointing her finger in his face.

Hyde stepped up closer to her. "I'm not the one forcing themselves on the other party here, Molly."

"It takes two to have sex." Molly reminded him, stepping up closer to him. "I mean I didn't hear you saying 'no' at all."

"That's because I'd be a moron to turn sex down—even if it was with _you_." Hyde replied with a shrug. "I'm not a moron."

Molly laughed in his face. "The jury's out on that one."

"If you think I'm such a moron, then why did you come to _me_ for your physical needs?" Hyde asked her, making a face.

Molly rolled her eyes and then realized as she stepped as close as she could get that she actually liked having Hyde breathe on her face and she wasn't alone. Besides the hot breath on his face and the obviously conflicted look on Molly's face, Hyde was enjoying the way that she smelled. He kind of wished right then that they were testing the physical boundaries again instead of trying to verbally spar with each other.

He leaned his face in a little and though confused at first about what he was doing, Molly suddenly found herself pressing her lips to his. She quickly pulled back though, and her eyes searched his for answers. They were supposed to hate each other—not continually want to sleep with each other. This was _not_ a functional relationship and they both knew it, but that didn't stop Hyde from kissing Molly this time.

"Damn-it, what are you doing?" Molly asked him, pulling back again but holding onto his shirt firmly with her hands. "What am _I_ doing?"

Hyde shook his head. "I can't even being to tell you."

"This isn't going to work. You don't do this, Steven. You don't do the comforting, or the girlfriend thing, or the nice thing—I mean I know you have it in you deep down somewhere, but I don't think I'm the one to bring it out in you." Molly told him and she realized it disappointed her to say it. "I am for some odd reason attracted to you, and want you…but I'm hurting right now and I can't have this."

"So _I_ have no say in this?" Hyde asked her.

Molly was surprised. "Why? Do you _want_ to try and be my boyfriend?"

"I didn't say that." Hyde said quickly.

Molly nodded and let go of him, taking a step back—that was what she was expecting to hear from him. She and Hyde had always had a friendship, but it was based on arguing and burning the other through bickering and pettiness. Now all she wanted was to somehow peel back his layers and he wasn't going to be willing enough to do that. Maybe if she just kept the hooking up going though…then maybe when she made it stop she could get him jealous enough to admit something…_anything_.

"Look, how about we forget I said anything and just do what we're good at—you up for _that_ at least?" Molly asked him.

Hyde took a breath. "Are you offering what I think you're offering?"

"Here's the thing, Steven—you and I are going to make a pact right now, all right?" Molly told him, laying it all out there and nodding when he just stood there looking at her, wanting to know the details before he agreed to anything. "I like sex…you like sex…we enjoy sex with each other. So, when you want it, I'm here for you, and when I want it, you're here for me. The catch? There's cuddling afterwards so it doesn't feel like we're using each other—but we're _not_ dating. Hell, you can hate me outside of these walls if you want to…I'll probably do the same to you."

Hyde smiled at her. "Deal, Molly."

"Good." Molly told him, smiling too. "Do you have anything else you want to add to this little pact?"

"No." Hyde admitted, stepping up closer to her. "However…it would be nice if you'd just be here for me right now."

Molly smirked and pulled her pajama top off. "I was hoping you'd be here for me too."

**Note: There's chapter four! The pact is important to the plot of the Molly/Hyde love story, and don't expect it to be smooth sailing completely—this is Hyde we're talking about. Feedback is always appreciated!**


	5. Starting to Fall

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**I had a really weird and yet really awesome Hyde dream last night.**

**I'm gonna fuel some of those ideas into this.**

**It's kinda fun.**

**There's language in this one.**

****

Molly woke up and looked over at Hyde sleeping next to her, smiling a little and then running her fingers through his curly hair before she got up and got dressed. She wasn't going to leave and make Hyde potentially feel used, but she definitely didn't want to lie around naked either just in case. Luckily, Hyde woke up while she was pulling her pajamas back on, and she smiled at him.

"Good morning." Molly told him, pulling the top over her head.

Hyde nodded at her. "Were you going to just take off?"

"No, I wasn't. I was going to get dressed and then crawl back in with you." Molly explained. "Unless…you'd rather I just go ahead and go back upstairs now…"

"I'm actually kind of hungry so…" Hyde offered and smiled a little when Molly did.

She nodded at him and tossed his pajamas at him, waiting until he got dressed to head up to the kitchen. When they got there, they rummaged through the cabinets and found some cereal, sitting at the kitchen table together and eating in silence. Both of them wanted to say something, but Hyde was afraid of starting an emotional conversation, and Molly was afraid of verbally vomiting all over him.

"I'm surprised Aunt Kitty even _has_ cereal around here." Molly said with a laugh as she shoved some into her mouth and then started to talk before it was all chewed up and swallowed. "She normally makes such a big deal about _making_ breakfast."

"You're right, she does. I bet if she walked in here right no she's totally have a breakdown." Hyde replied with a laugh.

Molly nodded and then she shrugged. "If she knew what we were _doing_…"

Molly trailed off and Hyde nodded—he knew she was referring to their pact, and at that moment, Kitty walked into the kitchen. It was 6 o'clock in the morning, and she was going to figure out what to make for breakfast and she was wondering why Hyde and Molly were hanging out when she knew they bumped heads a lot. Still, she didn't want to ruin a perfectly good moment…but she _did_ want to know what was going on with them.

"And what is it that you two _are_ doing?" Kitty asked them.

Molly and Hyde looked straight at Kitty and took deep breaths—they knew they had to come up with something fast so Molly had to take the reins. Hyde knew that she could handle it, and for some reason Molly was really good at coming up with lies on the spot that people believed when she smiled her smile.

"Aunt Kitty!" Molly told her blushing, which Hyde thought was the perfect touch. "We didn't want you to know we were sneaking cereal!"

Kitty smiled at her. "That was a pretty competent lie, Molly."

"I knew I couldn't _actually_ pull one over on you." Molly said with a smile. "Steven and I are just actually getting along and we snuck in here to eat breakfast and hung out in the basement talking and I guess I just figured you'd rather the two of us had left the catching up for the daytime and got some sleep and helped with chores."

"Well if you want to eat cereal, Molly, I'm not going to stop you." Kitty told her with a laugh. "How are you this morning, Steven?"

Hyde smiled at her. "I'm great, Mrs. Forman."

Kitty nodded and then smiled at Molly when Molly offered to help her with the breakfast, both of them chatting away and then Hyde setting the table. For the next two months, Molly found herself blending into the Forman family and was hanging out with Angela one on one in the kitchen doing homework when Eric came in to talk to her. It was the month of Molly's father's birthday and she was a little down, so Kitty wanted to throw a barbecue and invite their friends and family.

"Hey, Eric." Angela told him, smiling at him.

Eric smiled back at her. "Hey, Lilly. So, I take it you will be attending this barbecue?"

"Of course I will! I'm thinking about bringing Lisa, Heath and Clara along too." Angela explained, shrugging a little. "I mean if Molly doesn't mind."

"I don't mind as long as Lisa keeps her skanky hands to herself." Molly replied with a smile that made Eric laugh loudly.

Even though Molly had been spending most of her time with her new group of friends and the gang missed her, Eric was pretty positive that Molly was falling for Hyde. To be fair, Eric was pretty certain Hyde was falling too, but Hyde would never admit it…and Eric was actually growing quite fond of Angela's company—especially since Donna hadn't come back around yet.

Eric was still hung up on Donna a bit, but he was getting better about it, and Angela was fun to be around. Angela was actually the only one that Molly really liked to hang around, because Clara and Heath were a couple but she kept hitting on Fez, and Molly didn't like Lisa because Lisa was being a little more pro-active about hitting on Hyde. The only thing that Molly was really happy about for the last couple of months was that she and Hyde had been able to keep their pact a secret.

"I think _someone_ wants Hyde all to herself." Eric teased, resting his hand on Molly's shoulder.

Molly rolled her eyes. "I never said that."

"No, but you called Lisa a skank so…I'm pretty sure that implies you have the hots for Hyde." Angela replied with a smug smile and then she and Eric both cracked up when Hyde came in through the sliding glass door.

"Who has the hots for me?" Hyde asked them.

Molly laughed loudly. "Eric, obviously."

Eric shot Molly a look as Angela reached over the table and high-fived Molly, Hyde smiling and nodding. He was pretty certain he knew _exactly_ who they had been talking about, and for some reason the idea made him rather happy. Hyde knew that he wasn't the boyfriend type, but at the same time he was attached to Molly and he knew he couldn't help that now—he would miss her company far too much if she up and decided not to be around him anymore.

"Oh, well I knew that Forman had a thing for me—I'm irresistible." Hyde replied and then pointed at Eric. "Is this barbecue for real?"

Molly nodded at him. "Yes, it is, and I'd really appreciate it if you _didn't_ make any special brownies this time, all right?"

"But special brownies are such a hit." Hyde protested, sending her a pleading look that normally she would have fallen for, but Molly had her reasons this time for everything to go off without a hitch.

"Look, Steven, I know you're trying to be cute, and normally it would work, but this barbecue is in memory of my Dad so…don't screw it up." Molly told him firmly.

Hyde just nodded at her and he wished he had a comeback, but he couldn't find a mean thing to say right then. If Molly really wanted this barbecue to go off without a hitch, then he was going to make sure that happened for her. On the other hand, the pact was still in place and if there was maybe just one problem, she'd definitely be willing to have him there for her…but was it worth making her upset about her parents?

He was started to think against his original plan because he knew what it was like to have no parents and his weren't even dead—just deadbeat and gone. So he nodded again and Molly smiled at him, ready to sneak down to see him that night, but he had no idea—he was just trying to figure out what he was going to do about the barbecue. What Molly needed was someone by her side, but Hyde wasn't sure he could do the comforting thing…he had never been good at it before.

"Fine—just promise me this barbecue won't be lame, all right?" Hyde told her, pointing at her.

Molly rolled her eyes again. "Steven? Do what you were going to do and go—you too, Eric. Lilly and I have homework to do."

"You are seriously studious? You're making me look bad and you're not even my sibling! You're my cousin!" Eric protested, shaking his head. "Wow…stop that."

"Oh shut-up and go!" Molly told him, pushing him playfully and yet smiling at him.

Eric nodded and he and Hyde snuck a beer and handed back down to the basement, Angela watching Eric as he left. She was definitely attracted to him but she didn't know what to do about it—he was just out of a break-up and she didn't know how he still felt about Donna. There was also the matter of Molly—did she even _like_ the idea of her best friend dating her cousin?

"He has a nice ass, huh?" Molly asked Angela, cringing a little at weird that felt to say about her own cousin.

Angela blushed and looked at Molly. "Um…yes."

"Yes, well…go for it, I don't mind. This weekend at the barbecue, monopolize his time." Molly suggested, looking down at her math notes as Angela laughed. "What did you get for number 5?"

"I haven't even done 1 through 4." Angela replied, both of them laughing some more.

Molly smiled at her friend and decided that she could do this…she could get through this barbecue as long as she stayed in the right state of mind…

**Note: If you hadn't noticed, I'm speeding up time just a little bit because I kind of want to get on the whole Molly/Hyde rockiness really soon with a little more angst. I hope you guys will like the next chapter—it's the barbecue! Feedback is always appreciated!**


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